Attitude Adjustments
by Shekiah Rosay
Summary: Seto gains the Millennium Rod, as it was his 'destiny'. To his dismay, however, it doesn't came no strings attached. With it comes a Yami. Not yaoi! RESCUED FROM AN ALMOST FOUR YEAR HIATUS! LET THERE BE MUCH REJOICING!
1. The Gift

Running my fingers thorough my hair, I stared up at the clock in my office. Five minutes to four. Yugi should be here any minute. I seriously doubted that he would make any attempt, accidental or otherwise, to be fashionably late. He seemed like a pretty prompt guy. In almost an answer to my thoughts, I heard a knock on the door.  
  
"Come in," I murmured, sitting up in the leather upholstered chair. Slowly the door opened, and little Yugi (thank heavens not Yami) appeared at the door.  
  
"Hi Seto!" he shouted in that sickeningly cheerful way of his. I sighed.  
  
"Hello Yugi," I said. It hadn't been my idea to have this little meeting, but whatever worked. You see, Yugi had been pestering me for the last week. Calling me on the phone, stopping me in the halls at school, and even paging me. I have no idea how he got any of my addresses. Ok, well actually I had a pretty good idea. Mokuba of course.  
  
Anyway, he had been insisting that he had something of value that rightly belonged to me. I had no idea what he was talking about. I didn't know if there was anything of any material value in this world that I couldn't get for myself. I sincerely hoped that it wasn't another of his 'friendship attempts'. However, it seemed important to him. Regardless of whether I wanted to admit it, I did owe him bigtime. So, in long or short of it, that's why I invited him here this afternoon. I seemed like the right thing to do.  
  
I motioned for him to sit down in the identical chair in front of the desk. Smiling (of course), he took his seat and put the rather lumpy plastic bag that he had with him on the desk in front of him. That must be the 'gift'. This thing was just getting weirder and weirder.  
  
"This is what I've been wanting to give you," Yugi said, pushing the bag towards me. "Yami discovered his past, and it's no use to either of us anymore. Go ahead, take it out." Slowly, I pulled the object out of the bag. Inwardly, I gasped.  
  
It was the millennium rod. Yugi had been right. As I pulled it out of the bag, chills ran up my spine. I'd never held it before, but it felt so . . . natural. The way I held it, the weight of it in my hands was satisfying. Yugi smiled.  
  
"I knew it, Seto. You're the chosen owner. I'm glad I decided to give it to you. It's yours," he said. I couldn't believe it. This was more than I ever could have asked for.  
  
"Thank you," I said. Yes, I thanked him. And I was blunt, not evasive or quiet. I never deserved this. It was such a big deal. I just knew it was supposed to be mine. I felt complete with it in my hands.  
  
"It was the right thing to do. You don't have to thank me," he said. But I knew I did.  
  
"I've got to go. Hope I'll see you at school tomorrow," he said, walking towards the door. "I'll leave you to get to know them."  
  
Get to know them? That made no sense whatsoever. I shrugged it off, anxious to get to back to examining the item.  
  
I held it in my hands. Gazing down at the solid gold surface, I turned it over in my hands. I was still willing myself to believe that it was mine; it belonged to me. If this was a dream, I wanted to make the most of it, and prolong it for as long as I could. Slowly, I traced the millennium eye symbol with my fingertips.  
  
Suddenly, everything seemed to go black. I was swirling through a surge of colored lights. Now I was falling, plunging into darkness. Finally, I awoke. Pale and shaking, I tried to see if there was anything wrong with me. I felt fine, just my head felt . . . odd. Like inside it was twice the size that it was before. I didn't know what was wrong.  
  
Until I heard the voice. I looked around to see if there was anyone in the room. I was surprised to find that I was alone. Slowly, I came to the realization. This wasn't a dream; it was a nightmare. This would explain the feeling in my head.  
  
I, Seto Kaiba, had a Yami. 


	2. The Chosen One

"I see the chosen one has been found," the voice spoke. I shuddered. This wasn't happening.  
  
"My name is Seto Kaiba," I spoke, trying with all my might to keep my usual cool and confidence.  
  
"Yes. It is. And I am Seth, ancient high priest," he spoke.  
  
"I have enough to worry about as it is. I don't need a Yami," I spoke. Yami. I hated that word. It was the mediocre terms of referral to my archrival. I considered myself above that.  
  
"To be honest, I have no real desire to share a mind with a weak mortal of today myself," Seto spoke icily. Great. Two minutes sharing a body and he was already ticked off. This was going to be a long rest of my life.  
  
"Whatever," I sighed. I had work to do. I probably should tell Mokuba, but something made me afraid to. Maybe because I wasn't sure about this myself.  
  
"Having second thoughts, are we?" Seth mused.  
  
"Well-" I started. Wait. I hadn't voiced my reluctance aloud. How had he known?!  
  
"We share a mind link now, mortal. Get used to it. Your thoughts are my thoughts, and in turn my thoughts are yours. Get it?" he asked. I got it. But I didn't like it at all.  
  
"Will you just shut up? I've got a company to run. Besides, we have nothing in common," I said, pulling a file folder out of my desk.  
  
"That's where you're wrong, Seto. We have everything in common. And that is the reason that we don't get along," he replied. Obviously he had ignored my request for silence, but I had to admit that he was right. I shrugged.  
  
"You have a point," I said. I put away the folder, realizing that my effort was useless. I suppose I'd end up having to take the rest of the day off, but I'd hold up for as long as possible.  
  
"Even though we don't get along, we will have to work together to some extent," he said. "And we have an advantage that Yugi and his Yami don't."  
  
"What's that?" I asked, genuinely curious. Those two have been partners through thick and thin for as long as I could remember. Here, Seth was attempting to tell me that we had something that they didn't. I was all ears, but had no idea where this was going.  
  
"Think about it, Seto. You and I look and sound identical. We could switch places, and no one would even notice." I had to admit that sounded appealing.  
  
"There's one problem with your theory." I couldn't help but contradict. It was my nature. "Aside from the short flashback a few months ago, compliments of Isis, I have no idea what you look like."  
  
"Ah. So you were at the final duel versus the Pharaoh. I sensed your presence," Seth spoke. I couldn't help but feel important. My attendance at the duel over four thousand years ago was noted.  
  
"To answer your question, I can show you my appearance," Seth said. Slowly, I felt myself separating. It was the reverse of the beginning sensation, when I first traced the eye, but less extreme. This time, I was prepared. Actually, it sort of reminded me of being teleported into my virtual world months before. I barely had time to think before the sensation was over.  
  
I looked up. A pair of crystal blue eyes met mine. Seth stood before me. It had to be Seth, because he looked exactly like me. Exactly. However, a little less . . . solid. It was like having a twin, except . . . weirder. Much, much weirder. 


	3. Mind Shuffling

22 reviews!!! I feel so loved! Really I do. This is really one of the best responses I've ever gotten. ^__^ Anyway, I need to do a disclaimer. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, or any of the characters. I do own Seto and Yami action figures . . .  
  
I looked at Seth. Yes, he looked just like me. The same soft brown hair cascaded into cerulean blue eyes. If I didn't know better, I'd say I had been cloned.  
  
"So, pretty similar?" Seth asked.  
  
"Exact," I said breathlessly. I never would have thought that this could have happened. I had to admit that I thought that his Egyptian attire was fascinating. The royal-looking purple was very impressive.  
  
"I like the outfit," I said, sounding a little sarcastic.  
  
"You aren't exactly casual either," he said, raising an eyebrow at my trenchcoat. I didn't really need his opinion. Wait. He just . . .  
  
"You can't read my mind when our spirits are separate, can you?!" I realized. I could learn to like this. It was nice to have breaks where I had my mind to myself every so often.  
  
"No, I can't. You can't read mine, either," he stated. I could have figured that much out by myself.  
  
"Look, I'm not going to have you insulting my intelligence!" I said, sounding tremendously indignant.  
  
"Insulting your intelligence?!" he replied, equally disturbed. If there's one thing I can't stand, I just found out what it was. It was attempting to argue with someone just as smart as I was.  
  
"Look, I don't want to fight with you," I said quite honestly. He agreed, obviously feeling the same way I did.  
  
"You ought to tell your little brother about me," he said, breaking the ominous silence.  
  
"I suppose so," I said, shutting down my PC. This day was too eventful to try to get a full work day in. I had programmed all my paperwork onto a compact disk for editing at home. Slipping this into my briefcase, I picked up the Millennium Rod. Before I knew it, Seth and I again shared a spirit. The whole switching thing was getting almost routine.  
  
I left the office, locking the door behind me. I walked out to the parking lot. Of course, my car was one of the first on the row. As the CEO, I did have some rights. The car was an emerald green convertible, of which I was very proud. The sleek body glistened in the dimming late-afternoon sun.  
  
Seth was actually fairly silent for the rest of the ride home. It was nice to be able to relax. I was a little bit flustered. It didn't help that I was meeting some powerful executives for lunch tomorrow. I still had a meeting to plan along with everything else.  
  
Finally, I pulled up to a particularly large white mansion. Sliding a card through the digital reader on the gate's key pad, I punched in some numbers. The gates swung open. I parked the car in the garage and stepped out.  
  
"Seto!" an excited voice shouted. I smiled. Mokuba, of course.  
  
"You're home, big brother!" he said, running out to meet me. I hugged him.  
  
"Yes, I'm glad to be home," I said. I walked with him to the living room.  
  
"Did you test drive the new hand held duel system?" I asked him, curious about how the new invention had worked out. It was somewhat like a Gameboy, except for the fact that it allowed the player to duel with a hooked-up hologram projector. You earned cards as the game progressed.  
  
"It was awesome!" he said. "I got a high score!"  
  
"That's great," I smiled. "Is it too easy?"  
  
"No, it was pretty hard to do," he said. That's good. I need to set in on a level that would be fairly complex, yet wouldn't be too challenging.  
  
"Actually if you were challenged, I'd be more concerned that it was too hard." I smiled. He laughed.  
  
"Good one, Seto."  
  
It was great to have Mokuba for a brother. The time we spent together, however short, really was the highlight of my day. Sadly, I did have to get down to business. No more small talk. He deserved to know about Seth.  
  
"Mokuba," I started a little hesitantly. "There's something I need to talk to you about."  
  
"What?! Did you get a girlfriend?" he asked. Despite myself, I blushed. I wish that were true. I could hear Seth laugh.  
  
"No, not this time. What I needed to tell you was, well, you know about Yugi and Yami, right?" There. That was a good way to start this conversation.  
  
"Yeah. Yami is this ancient Pharaoh that kinda possesses Yugi through that puzzle that he wears around his neck. They duel together. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well, you know that Yugi was going to meet me at KaibaCorp today, right?" This was a good approach. I started to pull the Millennium Rod out of the briefcase.  
  
"Yeah," he said, obviously waiting for me to get to the point.  
  
"Well, he gave me this," I said, taking the item out and showing it to him.  
  
"Sweet!" He shouted. I handed it to him. He held it and looked it over.  
  
"Seto, this has the same symbol that's on Yugi's puzzle," he observed. I assumed he would figure that out. He was a smart kid.  
  
"Yeah, it does." I was just going to have to cut to the chase. I couldn't avoid the point for much longer. "Mokuba, to make a long story short, because of this item I now have an alter ego. Like Yami is to Yugi. Seth, the ancient Egyptian high priest, and I now share a mind."  
  
I watched his eyes grow to the size of saucers, then dinner plates. This was the reaction I had expected. He would go from really freaked out to really excited. Just you wait.  
  
"Whoa," he said, gazing at the item. Suddenly, his enormous eyes shrank back to normal size and filled with the usual mischief. What did I tell you?  
  
"Can you mind shuffle?" he asked, handing it back to me.  
  
"Well, I'll try. Don't expect much, though," I warned. This was going to be hard. I concentrated as hard as I could. Seth cooperated, and in moments I had gone from Seto to Seth and back again.  
  
"Wow," Mokuba breathed, fascinated.  
  
"You could tell a difference?" I asked him, amazed. Even if I was able to actually mind shuffle, I didn't expect him to be able to tell.  
  
"Yeah. Your eyes got a little darker when you were Seth," he said, squinting a little. That was really unprecedented.  
  
"I'm sure nobody else would be able to tell, though," he said, smiling reassuringly. Mokuba was one of a kind.  
  
Suddenly, I realized how tired I was. Odd. I wasn't tired earlier. I'm used to getting up at five and going straight from school to work. It must have been the mind shuffling. I guess I'm not used to that kind of mental strain.  
  
"Uh, Mokuba, I'm going to go upstairs and rest awhile, okay?" I said, smiling a little weakly.  
  
"Sure, Seto. I'll just be doing my science homework. I'll wait until later to do my math, because I'll need your help," he grinned. I nodded, and walked towards the stairs. This was the last time I could remember being this tired. 


	4. You What?

I pulled myself out of bed, wishing for just a few more minutes under the warm covers. I wished I could have slept straight from five o'clock to five o'clock, but Mokuba woke me up to help him with his science homework around nine. After we were done, I put him to bed and returned to where I most wanted to be: asleep.  
  
"Good morning," Seth said in a mock cheerful tone. I jumped. This was going to take some definite getting used to.  
  
"Good morning yourself," I muttered. Good, maybe. Interesting, definitely. I'd never had the privilege to share my lessons with a four- thousand-year-old spirit before. Oh joy.  
  
"Yugi manages all the time. Don't want him to beat you," Seth sneered. Despite my hatred for Yugi and my wish to ignore his existence, I had to admit that the thought of beating him at his own game sounded quite pleasing.  
  
I reached in to my closet and pulled out a set of matching black shirt and pants. Flicking on the closet light, I tried to decide on a trenchcoat. Finally, I just pulled out my usual white with the buckles on the arms. What the heck.  
  
"You spend almost as much time trying to decide what to wear as a girl," Seth mused.  
  
"Who asked your opinion?" I replied. Snide comments this early in the morning really annoyed me.  
  
"Trying to impress somebody?" he said in the same smooth tone. I did my best to shake the comment off, but ended up blushing none the less.  
  
"A girl? Seto, I never would have guessed!" he said, acting so surprised, when I knew he wasn't really. He'd probably been reading all the details straight out of my mind from the moment the link was established.  
  
"Seth, will you just shut up? Is it time already to ruin my day?" I said, sighing.  
  
"Touchy," he muttered. This was his clever way to get under my skin. Get my defensive attitude all fired up. The only way to stay calm was to ignore it.  
  
"Ready for school?" I asked, picking up my briefcase and headed for the stairs.  
  
"This will be interesting," he said. You're telling me. As we reached the bottom of the stairs, Mokuba came into view. He waited for me every morning. I didn't have the heart to make him ride the bus to school; I always drove him. I guess it's just my own horrible bus memories. I couldn't help but be sympathetic.  
  
"Ready?" I smiled. He nodded. He had a bookbag slung over his shoulder. Picking it up, I threw it on my back. Dang, it was heavy! And he's in sixth grade?  
  
"Are you sure you'll be able to carry this to class?" I asked. I wasn't sure whether there was anything I could do about it, it just seemed like a good thing to ask.  
  
"Yeah. Believe it or not, it's one of the lightest now that it's ever been." I made a face, and we both laughed. We loaded up the car and began the ride to school.  
  
"So, how is it to have a Yami?" he asked nonchalantly. He was handling this a lot better than I was. I shrugged.  
  
"Kind of annoying, but I can learn to live with it," I said. All of that was very true, except for the 'kind of'. Talk about the understatement of the century.  
  
"It just seems like it would be fun to have someone to talk to all the time, to tell secrets to," he said, almost wistfully. This comment appalled me.  
  
"Yeah, I guess. If you could ever manage to get along," I said. "Think about having to share a dormitory or bedroom with someone times one hundred." We both laughed.  
  
"Here we are," I said, pulling out his abnormally heavy bookbag and handing it to him. "See you after school." He smiled and accepted it.  
  
"See you, big brother."  
  
I drove off, getting a few sighs and waves from the more daring middle school girls. Honestly. Seth laughed.  
  
"You seem quite popular." I shrugged. I suppose. Finally, the high school came into view.  
  
Domino High School was a large building with white pillars holding up the brick awning over the entranceway. I drove into the student parking lot and pulled up beside a beige Volvo. Getting out of the car, I got my briefcase and walked towards the building.  
  
After much more walking that it was worth, I reached my locker. I inhaled sharply as I looked up. I had timed it just right. She was at her locker too. Just as I was about to try to make casual conversation, Seth spoke up.  
  
"So that's her, Seto? Very nice." I really had to make more of an effort to keep my thoughts to myself.  
  
"Say a word, Seth, and I swear you won't live to see another day," I muttered through gritted teeth.  
  
"Seto, do you really think I'd make an effort to make you unhappy?" he said in an overly sweet voice. I rolled my eyes.  
  
"Hello, Seto," she smiled. My stomach turned. I was so afraid I was going to blush.  
  
"Hello Serenity," I said, trying so hard not to stutter. Seth just had to cut in as I was defining the moment into my lifelong memory.  
  
"Seto, would you mind so much if I cut in?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, as a matter of fact I would!" I said tersely.  
  
"Oh well," he shrugged. Before I really had an idea of what was going on, I was standing dumbfounded in my soul room. Running for the door, I found that it was locked.  
  
"Seth, you son of a @#$%& you! Let me the %$#& out of here!" I shouted. Nothing happened. I tried again, but my shouting was still to no avail. So there I was. Imprisoned in my soul room by the power of my own item. It was humiliating.  
  
Of lack of anything better to do, I just kept on with shouting curses and throwing anything heavy I could get a hold of.  
  
Suddenly, mid-temper tantrum, I was rocketed back to my own world. Serenity was still standing there. She smiled, and spoke to me.  
  
"I'll see you then, Seto. I'm looking forward to it." Seth! What had he done?!  
  
"See you then," I repeated, still feeling very lost. What was going on? I guess I'll have to consult the source of the problem.  
  
"What have you done?!" I shouted to him. He smiled.  
  
"Oh, nothing really. Just asked her out on a date this Friday, is all. Actually, she even accepted." 


	5. Getting Ready

I walked into my room, shutting the door behind me. It was Friday afternoon, four-thirty to be exact. I had three hours till, well, I guess you get it. I'm just not ready to call it a . . . date. I flopped down on my bed.  
  
"Seth, you do realize that you're the one that got us into this mess, so you're the one who'll have to help pull us out, right?" I spoke to my Yami in no particular tone. He raised an eyebrow.  
  
"You mean what by that?" he asked, maintaining his mock-quizzical look. I knew better. Oh, yeah. Our spirits were separate. He leaned against the bookcase in the corner.  
  
"You know exactly what I mean. You're the one who'll decide what we wear, how I greet her, and all the other remote details," I said. I gave him this job. If he charmed her into this, I figured that he could do anything. Thus I trusted him with this job. Under one condition.  
  
"Seth, you realize that tonight will be a total flop unless we work together, right?" I said. He nodded, understanding where I was going. He stuck out a translucent hand.  
  
"No foul play from either side," he said. I nodded, and we shook.  
  
"Let's get down to business."  
  
****  
  
"First, we need to decide what you should wear," Seth speculated, looking me over.  
  
"What I'm wearing right now's fine," I cut in, more to test him than anything else.  
  
"No, you'll need something a little better than that," he said, looking through my closet. I sighed. Oh well. I gave him the job, all I could do now is trust him.  
  
"You need something that . . .she hasn't seen before," he said, continuing to leaf through the clothes hung neatly on the hangers. "Ah! Here we are," he said.  
  
"No way," I said, shaking my head. I didn't even know why I had it.  
  
This would be way different. So different that I wasn't really sure how good it would look.  
  
The first part of the outfit was black leather pants. Sure, that wasn't much of a change. Overall, that wouldn't be a big deal.  
  
Next, a black leather jacket. Jacket. Not trenchcoat. This is where it got really weird. It felt really different, but if Seth thought it would look good, alas, I'd given him the responsibility.  
  
For the finishing touch, I slipped on the picture I always wore around my neck. I never went anywhere without it. Opening up the locket, a younger version of Mokuba smiled back as always.  
  
Finally, I walked out of my closet/dressing room to face Seth, and worse- the mirror.  
  
"Not to bad," he nodded his head approvingly. Disregarding his comment, I faced my full length mirror.  
  
I never would have imagined that it would look this . . . good. It fit very well, not to mention it was way more comfortable than what I was used to.  
  
"I told you that I was right when I picked it out, but you didn't believe me," he said. "What do you say?"  
  
"I say we're not through yet. I commend you on your work thus far, but we still have a long way to go." That put him in his place.  
  
"You're right."  
  
"And we don't have much time." I finished. He nodded.  
  
"Let's get going. Step two: how you'll greet her when she comes to the door." Oh joy.  
  
"I'm picking her up?" I asked, giving him a blank look.  
  
"No, she's walking. Of course you're picking her up, you moron!" he retorted. I sighed. Sarcasm for sarcasm.  
  
"Hey, I'm new to this," I said. He nodded reassuringly.  
  
"Anyway, we need to decide what to say. You need something that will make her feel . . . special."  
  
"How about hello?" I said. He was beginning to freak me out.  
  
"No, no, no. You need to comment on what she's wearing, or something," he advised. I guess I could do that.  
  
"How about 'I never would have imagined that you could look more wonderful than when I first met you'?" I offered. Very poetic.  
  
"Are you sure that would accomplish anything more than severely freaking her out?" he asked. "I think you might want to drop the Shakespeare approach."  
  
"I suppose you have a point," I admitted. I was just throwing out ideas.  
  
"How about you stick to the tried and true 'You look great'?" he suggested.  
  
"Sounds good," I said, nodding.  
  
"I guess that settles it," he said in conclusion.  
  
"Okay. What next?" I said. He was leading me through this. So far, I couldn't have done it without him.  
  
"You need to decide what flowers you'll get her," he stated matter-of- factly.  
  
"Flowers?" I replied, looking like I'd never heard the word in my life. This night was just full of surprises.  
  
"Yes, flowers. You want to come across as sensitive, thoughtful, and you want to flatter her. The worst impression you could make is that you threw all this together at the last minute." Again, he had a point.  
  
"So," I started. "What do you suggest?"  
  
"Well, a rose does symbolize love," he said.  
  
"You're scaring me. I'm just going on a date with her. It's not like I'm marrying her," I said, giving him a freaked out look out of the corner of my eye.  
  
"At least you aren't tonight," he said. "That doesn't mean it won't be a possibility for the future." I shoved him again, this time into the dresser. He laughed, of course.  
  
"I was just teasing. I think you'd do well to bring her yellow roses," he advised. Somehow it sounded more like an order. I knew he enjoyed bossing me around like this; he couldn't make it anymore obvious. Still, after all he'd helped me with, I couldn't quite blame him.  
  
"If you really think so. I'll stop by the florist on the way over." I relented. He hadn't been wrong yet.  
  
"I really think so," he said.  
  
"So, anything else we need to address?" I asked him. He was the leader; I was just following.  
  
"Nope, I think that about covers it. My, how time flies! It's already six- fourty five!"  
  
I looked at the clock. He was right! That left me fourty-five minutes before I was supposed to be at her doorstep. I had to get going.  
  
"Seth, we have go. If you're coming, get back in the item," I said.  
  
"If I'm coming," he said, giving me a 'get real' look. I sighed, and he returned to the item.  
  
I dragged a comb through my hair for about the tenth time that night before running out the door. When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I sighed again.  
  
"I know where you're going," Mokuba said with a Cheshire Cat-esque grin.  
  
"Mokuba, I really don't have time for this," I said, using the clock as an excuse. Though I really was short on time, I could have made some had I wanted it.  
  
"You're going on a date with Serenity," he said, smirking. How the heck he had figured that one out, I may never know. However, it didn't surprise me.  
  
"Yes, I am, I mean, it isn't . . . " my voice trailed off. "Just don't tell, okay?" He never lost his grin.  
  
"I promise, big brother."  
  
"Show me your hands," I said. I could tell he was uncrossing his fingers. I ruffled his hair. He laughed.  
  
"I'll see you Seto," he said. "Have a good time."  
  
"See you," I said. I went out to my car. I checked the glove box. Umbrella, check. Money, check. Flashlight, check. Looks like I'm set. I went ahead and threw in the Millennium Rod. If it was nearby, Seth and I could maintain communication.  
  
I took out my wallet. Stopping first by the florist, I picked up some yellow roses, as Seth suggested. They were beautiful, perfect for a first date. There were three, held together by a dark red ribbon that really brought out the red on the tips of the petals. So far, so good.  
  
Step two to this process was finding the house. I drove through a few locals neighborhoods before finding the right one. Glad I allowed time for this. No offense to Mapquest or anything, but sometimes it really wasn't much help.  
  
Finally, I found the right one. It was a small beige house with a nice garden out front. It looked very welcoming in the shade of two pine trees out front.  
  
Slowly, and certainly not without trepidation, I walked up and rang the bell. 


	6. For Sure

The sixth chapter of Attitude Adjustments! Sorry for the delay in updating, this is my third draft. Grrr . . . __ Anyway, read on, enjoy, R/R!  
  
The bell rang. Waiting for her at the door, I looked around. She really did have a pretty house, more inviting than anything I'd ever had the opportunity to live in. Sounds somewhat sad, me being jealous of someone, but I really couldn't help it. My life really wasn't as desirable as you might be led to believe.  
  
The sound of footsteps rocketed me back to earth. I averted my eyes back to the front door just in time to see the knob turn. Quickly I stood up straight and held the roses in front of me, just in time to see the door open.  
  
Thank heavens, it was Serenity that opened the door, not her brother. In fact, the idea that he could be home hadn't really occurred to me until just now. That could have gotten really ugly, really fast. Somehow, the idea of his little sister going out on a date, yes, date, I admit it, with me really didn't seem like something that would appeal to him very much.  
  
"Hello Serenity," I said, getting as close to a smile as I could. Okay, I wasn't really used to smiling much lately. That really could be an acquired skill.  
  
"Hi Seto," she smiled, (was it in awe?) stepping into the cool night air. She was only wearing a denim skirt that came to just above her knees and a tank top shirt. She was very pretty, but I hoped that she wouldn't be too cold.  
  
"For you," I said, holding out the rose bouquet. She gasped.  
  
"They're beautiful!" she exclaimed, accepting them. "I'll put them in some water inside. You can come in too, if you like."  
  
She obviously noticed my look, because she laughed and added, "Joey's at the game shop with Yugi and the others. It's okay."  
  
I walked inside with her, feeling more than a little awkward.   
  
The first place I walked into was the foyer area. She flicked on the lights, and we walked to the kitchen. She was very chatty, and that definitely put me at ease, because I wouldn't have known what to say otherwise.  
  
If I thought that outside of her house was pretty, I had yet to see anything. The kitchen was painted a pale blue, and there was a matching tablecloth with chairs cushioned likewise in the dining room.  
  
"It's not much, but we like it," she said, almost apologetically shrugging as we walked in. I immediately realized she was referring to the fact that I lived in a multi-million dollar mansion.   
  
"No, no, it's wonderful," I reassured. I was being completely honest.  
  
"Just make yourself at home," she said, getting a vase out of a cabinet nearby. I sat down in one of the chairs.  
  
"Thanks for inviting me tonight," she said, speaking as she worked.  
  
"No problem at all," I said. I hope she didn't start discussing the invitation, considering I knew nothing about it. The Millennium Rod-and Seth-were still in my glove box in the car.  
  
"I mean, no boy has ever, you had the choice of any girl . . . " her already stammering voice trailed off. It shocked me. She was just as afraid as I was. She didn't understand.  
  
"What if I didn't want 'any girl'? I wanted you." I said. That was perfect.   
  
She blushed furiously.   
  
"Of course. I wouldn't have asked you out if you weren't the one I wanted." Her face burned.  
  
"Thank you," she repeated.   
  
"It's my pleasure."  
  
I approached her, and genuinely smiled. She smiled in return.   
  
She took the bouquet, now in a sleek vase, and put it on the table.   
  
"Are you ready to go?" I asked. This was going to be trial and error until I mastered her personality.  
  
"Yeah. I guess so," she said. We walked back to the front door. I went out the door first. It was darker than when I first pulled up. My eyes adjusted quickly to the dusk.  
  
She started down the stairs cautiously behind me. I extended my hand out to her. She took it, smiling. We walked out to the car.  
  
I opened the passenger side door for her, and she stepped in. I proceeded to the driver's side and got in. I started the car, and the heat came on. She seemed to relax, and the color receded from her face.  
  
We rode in silence most of the way. I ignored Seth's chanting of 'Make a move, make a move . . . ' Loser. I wasn't going to blow this.  
  
I began to relax, too. I realized that I had a tendency to act around her like I did around Mokuba. She just wasn't going to see a cold and heartless side of me. That was for sure. 


	7. It's Not As Hard As It Sounds

"Do you want to see a movie?" I asked her.  
  
"Sure," she smiled. "What do you want to see?"  
  
"It doesn't matter to me," I said. "How about Pirates of the Caribbean?" (A/N: My favorite movie . . . ^__^;; Jack Sparrow ROX!)  
  
"That sounds great. Only thing is . . . " here she got really quiet. "I didn't know we were going to a movie. I didn't bring enough money for a ticket."  
  
Was that all? I'm sure my expression softened as I noticed the color returning to her cheeks. She's feeling so awkward. I may be wealthy, but I'm not some heartless cheapskate.  
  
"I'll get the tickets for both of us," I said. I had expected that one to be a given.  
  
"Really?" her expression brightened.  
  
"Really," I assured. I searched for a parking space. Finally I found one, but it was terribly far away from the entrance. And it had started to rain, too. Oh well. The umbrella was on the checklist for a reason.  
  
"Excuse me," I said, reaching over to the passenger side and opening the glove box. I pulled out the navy blue umbrella.  
  
"I'll come around to your side with the umbrella," I said. She nodded. I opened the door, getting sprayed by an unexpected torrent. I quickly opened the umbrella and walked around the car to the passenger side.  
  
I opened the door and held out the umbrella. I got a little wet for a moment. Oh well. At least I wasn't wearing anything that wasn't waterproof.  
  
"Thank you," she smiled, after we were both comfortably (to one extent or another) situated under the umbrella.  
  
"No problem," I replied. I water droplet ran down the side of my cheek and hit pavement, which was already thoroughly soaked.  
  
We slowly neared the front door to the Domino Cinema. Finally, we reached the ticket booth.  
  
"Two adults for the eight o'clock showing of Pirates of the Caribbean, please," I spoke.  
  
"I'm sorry sir. That showing is sold out. Would you be interested in the eight fifteen showing?" he spoke.  
  
I sighed. "Yes please." I pulled out my wallet and took out a twenty. Accepting the change, I walked inside with Serenity to a nearby bench.  
  
"Thank you for paying," she said.  
  
"Really, It's not a problem," I said. "I'm sorry that we have to wait fifteen minutes."  
  
"Oh, fifteen minutes isn't long at all. This way we get to talk for a little while, too."  
  
That was what I was afraid of. Suddenly, someone walked up. Someone that I recognized. Serenity came to her senses first. I was too aghast by the unfriendly coincidence.  
  
"Hi Yugi! Hi Téa!" she called out. Oh no. This was very bad. Very, very bad. In case you didn't realize, Seth and Yami . . . well, they hadn't quite resolved their differences, to put it mildly.  
  
They slowly walked over, obviously surprised to see us together.  
  
"Hello Serenity, hello Seto," Téa said in an odd voice. I saw Yugi stand straighter suddenly. Of course, he was Yami now. I fought Seth's spirit, but to no avail. He slowly took over.  
  
I watched helplessly from my soul room. Serenity chatted with Téa rather animatedly, thank goodness oblivious to the conversation of their dates. Yami stepped up to Seth.  
  
"Seto," he said coldly. "Or should I say . . . Seth?"  
  
"Hello Pharaoh," Seth spat the words, holding out a hand. Yami took it in a death grip, obviously beginning an unspoken competition to see who could cut off the other's circulation first. Both gritted their teeth, but neither withdrew.  
  
"Well, I'll see you at school, Serenity," smiled Téa. She began to walk away, and Yami had no choice but to follow.  
  
"I'm sure this is not the last time we meet, Pharaoh," Seth said the final word in a mocking tone, as he had before. After this minor episode, he thankfully allowed me to take control over my body again.  
  
I silently cursed Seth. Actually, it wasn't really his fault, but I had to blame somebody, right?  
  
"What a coincidence that we'd meet them here, huh Seth?" Serenity said. "How nice."  
  
"Yes," I said, more or less absentmindedly. I was busy watching them walk off. They liked each other; I could tell. I wondered if anybody would notice Serenity and me in that regard. A sudden gasp broke my thoughts. Serenity grabbed my arm.  
  
"Seto! If they're here . . . that means that everybody's left the gameshop. And that means . . . oh crud."  
  
I knew exactly what she meant. Joey was home, and likely wondering where she was. I whipped out my cell phone, and held it out.  
  
"Oh Seto! You're a lifesaver!" she accepted it and quickly dialed. I was going to see what I could get out of just one end of the conversation.  
  
"Hi Joey . . . yes, no. It's okay, I promise, just at the movies with a friend. Yes, No, of course not. No, yes. See you, bye." She hung up.  
  
"Thank goodness we don't have caller id," she said. Obviously she hadn't specified which friend.  
  
"Yeah. Well, it's about 8:10. Do you want to go ahead and get seats?" I asked, indicating the door to movie number five.  
  
"Sure," she agreed. We walked in and got a seat in about the middle of the theater. I really can't stand the ones right in front. They make me feel sick.  
  
While we waited outside, I bought Serenity a Pepsi. That's a good sign, right? I mean, she let me. That cleaned me out as far as cash goes, but I had my credit cards. I wasn't really hungry, or thirsty for that matter. Finally, after about one million previews, the movie started.  
  
I had to admit it was the best I'd seen in a while. It was exciting, even funny at parts. I even laughed at one part. She's one of the only people in this world that I'd dare to make that much of a fool of myself in front of. Funny, as nervous as I was about this date.  
  
She was a great person to watch a movie with. When the movie got dull, her antics were still charming. She freaked out and grabbed my hand during the scary parts, and during the funny ones she dared to laugh out loud.  
  
Finally, the end previews came. It had been a great experience. Great movie (I must confess) and an awesome . . . date. I really owed Seth one. I bet he heard that. That wouldn't be good. Oh well.  
  
I looked at my watch. Ten thirty-one! It was later than I thought. I wouldn't mind staying out for a little longer, but I hoped it wouldn't be too late for Serenity.  
  
"It's ten thiry," I said, wanting to double check that I wasn't violating her curfew.  
  
"Well, that gives me thirty minutes till I officially have to be home. Want to go to that café that just opened by the shopping center? I mean, if you're not too busy or anything," she quickly added.  
  
So we weren't getting her in trouble. That was good, at least. I'd like to go to the café actually. This could be an adventure. I've heard it's a pretty interesting place. Still. Too busy? So I am skipping creating a huge PowerPoint presentation to do this, but I could get by. This was much more important.  
  
"Not at all. That sounds great. I heard some people at school talking about it. Supposedly it doesn't close until midnight." I replied. So, maybe neither of us had ever been on a date before. I promise; it's not as hard as it sounds.  
  
****  
  
So, what do you think so far? The next chapter's update hopefully won't take as long, actually most likely won't take as long; I have a few ideas. It will be the most fun to write so far. First of all; I have a few questions for you folks if you don't mind:  
  
First: What do you think the café should be like: retro, fancy, weird or just plain normal?  
  
Second: Should Seth make another appearance at the café?  
  
Third: How do you think Joey should react when she gets home?  
  
Thank you so much! 


	8. The Cafe

Serenity and I walked out of the theater. The temperature had dropped significantly, especially since we were going to be riding in a convertible with the top down. She shivered. I knew that she should have worn a coat.  
  
"Are you cold?" I asked. She nodded vigorously. My expression softened.  
  
"Here," I replied, taking off my jacket. I handed it to her. That left me in just a white tee-shirt, but I didn't get cold too easily.  
  
"Thank you," she smiled. She slipped it on. Of course, it was too big for her. Still, it was warm.  
  
"Are you going to be too cold?" she asked quickly.  
  
"No, no, I'll be fine," I offered as reassurance. We walked out to the car. We got in, and started down the road. Finally, we pulled up beside the café.  
  
"Looks like a nice place," she observed. It did look welcoming. We walked inside.  
  
Our guess was right; it was a very nice place. There were enough lights on to provide a comfortable setting, but not enough to give one a headache. The aroma of fresh baked bread and coffee laced the air.  
  
The décor was appropriate, and didn't make one feel out of place. There was a simple floral print on the walls, and the cushions on the seats were a soft lilac. Not overpowering, just . . . nice. Normal. Apparently customers were supposed to order at the counter and then seat themselves. We stepped up.  
  
I looked at Serenity. She spoke.  
  
"I'll just have a vanilla shake," she said, studying the menu.  
  
"I'll have the same," I said. It would make things simpler. I pulled out my wallet. Noticing the gesture, she didn't pull hers out. I opened it. Oh no.  
  
This was very bad. I tried to keep my cool while frantically flipping through my wallet. I must have left my credit cards at home! Oh, how could I be so stupid? What a classic and amateur mistake to make. Seth snickered. I sent him a mental note to shut up.  
  
Serenity had taken a clue to what was going on.  
  
"Seto," she said softly. "I have a few ones. We can get one drink, but I'm just short of the money for two."  
  
This was so . . . infuriating. I was so mad at myself. Oh well. I'll let her. I bought the tickets and all, so it could be okay.  
  
I nodded. The woman behind the counter prepared one milkshake. Serenity paid her, and we walked to a corner booth. It was a touch secluded, but not in a threatening or awkward way.  
  
She put the shake down. We had each gotten a straw. Putting them both in at the same time, it appeared to me that she suppressed a giggle. I had to admit, it was somehow too 'classic'. It was just like in all the movies.  
  
We sat down. It was a touch awkward. She bent down and took a sip. I reluctantly followed suit. I couldn't help but wonder what someone walking in was bound to think. Probably that we were boyfriend and girlfriend. I chose not to think about that possibility, however satisfying it might be.  
  
"How's school and everything going?" I asked, trying to start a conversation.  
  
"Pretty well. I skipped a grade so I could start out tenth with Joey and his friends, so it's kind of scary, but pretty cool."  
  
"I bet. It's hard just having the time for everything." I replied, taking another sip.  
  
"You found time for this," she said. I looked up. She was raising an eyebrow.  
  
"I did," I replied, giving her the same in return. Our eyes connected. She blushed a little and looked away.  
  
"Seto," she started. "You really aren't the person I thought you were."  
  
This was an odd remark. I mean, is that a good thing or a bad thing? That depends on her original impression, I suppose.  
  
"Is that good or bad?" I stated my question with a trademark quizzical look.  
  
"Well, considering that the only thing I had to go by was what my brother said, I think that's a very good thing."  
  
I couldn't help it. At this I smiled. Then it was a very good thing. She laughed. Her laugh was light, like a bell ringing. I was enjoying our time together. However, I was startled when her look quickly became one of horror.  
  
"My brother," she whispered. I looked at my watch. My stomach rose to my throat. It was eleven sixteen. That mean we were over a quarter of an hour past her curfew.  
  
I stood up, and so did she. We rushed out to the car, running like neither of us had in heaven knows how long. Luckily, it had stopped raining. Not that either of us would have noticed anyway.  
  
I noticed as she got in that the jacket I had loaned her says 'KaibaCorp' on the back and has a silver embroidered Blue Eyes White Dragon. I had forgotten that. Considering Joey's jacket had his name on the back, and Mai wore it abut as much as or more than he did, that was scary.  
  
I started the ignition. We were headed back to her house. Neither of us spoke for the longest time. I think we were a touch out of breath. Finally she spoke.  
  
"Thank you for tonight, Seto. It was wonderful."  
  
I pulled into her driveway. Luckily I knew the way a little better this time around. I turned to face her.  
  
"Thank you," I replied. In the dark, I could see the outline of her eyes. They sparkled as they formed a bond with mine. This time she didn't look away for a long time.  
  
Finally, she closed them and turned away.  
  
"I have to be going," she said, picking up her purse. She opened her door and stepped out. With a final smile, she closed it. I watched her walk up to the door. When I saw the knob turn, I knew it was fine to go. Better if you-know-who didn't see the car.  
  
"I think you owe someone something," a voice in my head spoke up. I sighed.  
  
"Yes Seth. Thank you very much, I couldn't have done it without you," I recited in a monotonous voice. Seth nodded defiantly.  
  
"That's what I thought," he drawled. "Now remember this next time."  
  
Suddenly something occurred to me.  
  
"It was you who took my credit cards out of my wallet!" I shouted indignantly. Seth was laughing so hard he could barely breathe.  
  
"And they call you a genius," he said between fits of laughter. I glowered. I was never going to admit in one million years that I had enjoyed that. Of course he's figure it out, but it wasn't going to be in the form of a confession.  
  
As I drove down the road, I thought about how well the date had gone. It really had. I couldn't help but smile to myself in the darkness.  
  
Until I thought of one thing.  
  
It wouldn't have mattered if Joey saw the car. Because Serenity was still wearing my jacket. 


	9. A Deeper Understanding

New chapter! I've been writing these in advance, so more updates and sooner! R/R please, and enjoy! ^__^  
  
SERENITY'S POV // SERENITY'S POV // SERENITY'S POV // SERENITY'S POV  
  
I stepped inside, almost apprehensive of Joey's reaction. He closed the door behind me, and I stood in the center of the living room, awaiting certain admonition.  
  
I waited, but nothing ever happened. Finally I looked up. He was glaring. This was the most angry I had seen him in a long, long time. I didn't really know why. Sure, it was past the time I was supposed to be home, but that wasn't an excuse to be downright furious. I mean, I hadn't even had a chance to explain.  
  
Slowly, a realization came to me. I looked down slowly, knowing what I was going to see yet trying to delay the inevitable. I was still wearing Seto's jacket. His monogrammed, blue-eyes jacket.  
  
"I have an explanation," I said softly, awaiting what he would say next.  
  
"That's good," he said curtly. "You're going to need it." I swallowed a lump in my throat and sat down. He continued to regard me with his infuriated stare. I averted my gaze.  
  
"Serenity," he started. "Explain."  
  
"Seto invited me to go to the movies with him tonight. We went to a café afterwards, and I ended up coming home a little late. I'm sorry."  
  
"Seto Kaiba," Joey said venomously under his breath. I nodded, still pointedly failing to look him in the eye. I was afraid of the emotion I'd see.  
  
"For what reason did you accept?" he asked, fighting for my direct gaze, which I failed to offer.  
  
"I wanted to get to know him better." So it was the best I could come up with. I did. "Our lockers are together and one while we changed classes he asked me."  
  
"Serenity, do you even remember a thing I told you about him?! Why don't you just listen? He's a loser, cheating freak! Besides all that," he spat, "he's cheap millionaire scum!"  
  
"Maybe I wanted to get my own opinion about him," I said softly.  
  
"Serenity, if you want to date someone, date Tristan! Yugi! For all I care, date Marik! Just don't come to me saying you've just been to the movies with Seto Kaiba!" he shouted, standing up. "And for gosh sakes, take that jacket off!"  
  
I stood up slowly, shedding the jacket. It fell to the floor behind me in a black leather heap. It reminded me somehow of my emotions at the moment.  
  
"Joey, don't say things like that." I replied icily, my anger steadily rising. I wasn't going to let him insult Seto like that without a fight.  
  
In the heat of the moment, I took a second to realize how unlike me this really was. Oh well! I don't care. I'd only spent one night and one date with Seto, but Joey's blatant disrespect for my feelings, even in his intense anger, struck a nerve in my brain.  
  
"Serenity, you don't understand. Seto's a jerk! He's probably just playing you anyway! Somehow I don't think he's capable of anything else!" he added.  
  
"Take that back," I whispered, clenching a fist.  
  
"You can't deny the truth!" he replied. "Just think about it! He's spent so much time being important, he's not even human anymore!"  
  
"He is too! Tonight was one of the best in my life!" I replied indignantly. "You don't know the half of it."  
  
"I know enough! He's dirty, rotten, underhanded, and he doesn't deserve you!"  
  
"Doesn't deserve me?! I'll tell you who doesn't deserve me!" We both shouted on and on, until nothing anyone said made sense anymore. We were just yelling. Finally, out of breath, and from sheer exhaustion, I collapsed onto the couch. Tears started running down my cheeks.  
  
Joey stopped, and walked over to me. I didn't look up, even when he sat down beside me. Sorrow was an overcoming emotion.  
  
He put an arm around me. I leaned into him and rested my head on him shoulder. Tears still ran down my cheeks like nothing in the world was going to break the flow, but still I clung to him.  
  
Whenever Joey got mad, it was always like this. A brief few minutes of frightening rage, but then the storm would blow over and he'd feel genuinely bad for how he'd acted. Poor guy. He never learned. Still, I loved him.  
  
It was a different kind of love, though. He was my brother, and always would be. No matter how much I hated him at times, I'd still love him. I looked up to him more than anyone else.  
  
We'd both had enough fighting and rage in our lives. We'd witnessed enough to split a marriage, and ruin four lives in one fell swoop. Enough to divide a family. Somehow, we'd gotten through that, and we'd get through this, too.  
  
****  
  
I know it was short, but very fluffy! I had to take a chance and write this from someone else's POV. This was way too good of an opportunity to miss . . . Anyway, back to business. I may alternate between the two POVs at random intervals. I'll stick with the most interesting situation, make no doubt. Please R/R! 


	10. Losing Control

I'm actually updating! I had the flu. And I traveled for Thanksgiving. But I'm back now. I'm very sorry for not updating for so long, so I'll write a long and exciting chapter. Thanks again for all the reviews, you guys are great!  
  
Back to Seto's POV// Back to Seto's POV// Back to Seto's POV// Back to Seto's POV//  
  
I woke up the next morning still wondering how it had gone for Serenity. I had wanted to get the jacket back before he could see it and she could get in trouble, but by the time I realized it was already too late. Heaven knows that would have made it worse.  
  
"Good morning," Seth said, as usual. He had separated, as he normally did when I woke up. He'd join back before I left.  
  
I had gotten used to sharing a body with him, and things had gotten relatively routine. Mokuba even greeted us both in the morning. Yes, things were as normal as could be when sharing your high-school years with a four thousand five hundred year old spirit.  
  
"Morning," I replied, starting to get dressed. "I wonder how things went for Serenity." He sighed.  
  
"You're still thinking about that?"  
  
"Well, you don't know her brother," I replied, looking him in the eyes. He nodded.  
  
"As good as know him. I've read the details straight out of your mind since the day I met you. I narrowed my eyes.  
  
I pulled on a school uniform. If you had your own designer line of clothing, these things were total crap. "But I really am worried."  
  
"I'm sure she'll be fine. From the way I take it, he cares the world for her. He might be mad, but he'd never hurt her." he reasoned.  
  
"How is it you can figure out things I can't, and you get all your information out of my mind?" I asked him, giving him a sideways look.  
  
"I'm a 'Yami' supposedly. It's my job. Just ask Yugi," he replied, smirking.  
  
****  
  
"Bye Seto," Mokuba smiled, hugging me quickly.  
  
"Bye Mokuba," I replied, handing him his book bag. He jumped out of the car, and ran into the elementary school. We had a chauffer to drop us places, but we very rarely took advantage of that luxury anymore. I had just gotten my license. What can I say?  
  
"Let's go," hurried Seth. "Don't you want to see Serenity?"  
  
"Judging by your antics, not half as much as you do," I laughed. He scrunched up his nose.  
  
"Very funny."  
  
****  
  
We were there soon. The two schools were very nearby, being in the same district and all. I parked the car.  
  
Walking into the front lobby, I ran into Serenity herself. I tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around quickly.  
  
"Hi Seto," she smiled. That was good at least. She seemed fine, and she wasn't mad. I smiled. She was wearing the jacket!  
  
"Oh, sorry Seto," she said, slipping it off. "I knew I wouldn't forget it if I wore it. I have a nasty habit of doing things like that. Anyways," she took off the jacket and handed it to me.  
  
"You can keep it for the rest of the day, if you want to," I said quickly.  
  
"No, it's fine," she smiled. "You can take it."  
  
Accepting the jacket, I held it. It was still warm. Seth snickered at this observation. I couldn't help it. It was.  
  
"Thanks," I said. With a final exchanged smile, we went our separate ways to class.  
  
****  
  
The rest of the day was fairly normal, aside from one very flagrant difference.  
  
Generally, Yugi and his little gang would ignore me, and I them. Occasionally, Yugi invited me to something or said hi, but the rest of them just kept to themselves. It just worked that way.  
  
Today was different.  
  
Joey Wheeler spent the majority of the classes we shared sending me evil looks. I tried to ignore it, but the uncanny feeling one gets when stared at for a long period of time was doubtlessly there. It seemed like every time I looked up, he was giving me another death glare.  
  
Finally, the bell rang. I stepped out of homeroom, backpack slung halfway over my back. I walked out to the car as I normally did, but was stopped mid-step halfway there.  
  
I slowly lowered my gaze to fully take in the boy standing before me. It was a livid Joey Wheeler.  
  
"Excuse me, Wheeler, but I need leave for work momentarily," I said coldly, stepping to the side of him. He moved with me.  
  
"You're not going anywhere," he whispered. I sighed loudly, looking him squarely in the eye.  
  
"Look, Wheeler, I don't have time for your little games. Move now." He was persistent.  
  
"I was easy on Serenity, but don't think I'll do the same for you. From what I've heard, you took Serenity out on a date last night. Is that true?" he asked me, returning my look.  
  
"I would think you'd be more apt to rely on her information," I said sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Don't be sarcastic with me," he spat. "You took her on a date last night, and didn't bring her home until almost eleven thirty!"  
  
"That matters to you why?" I asked him, maintaining my former intimidating stare.  
  
"She's my sister, and I care about her! Do you think I trust you with something like this?!" he shouted.  
  
I felt my level of anger steadily rising.  
  
"Since when have I given you any reason not to trust me?!" I shouted in reply. Suddenly, I felt a shifting of emotion in my mind. Oh no. Seth was taking over. I tried to resist, fearing for the worst, but I found myself watching in horror from my soul room.  
  
"You know what?! You probably don't care at all for her! You just want-"  
  
"That's it!" Seth shouted. I watched the following event in a dream-like state. Seth's fist swung up. I shouted, but my voice was lost in the flow of time. The sickening crack as Seth's arm hit Joey's jaw knocked me out of my stupor.  
  
Joey just stared for a moment. He couldn't believe what had just happened. I don't think any of us could. After staring for a moment, ignored tears gathering at the corners of his eyes from obvious pain and fury, he just ran.  
  
The wave of rage passed, Seth allowed me to regain control. I walked silently back to the car. As I opened the door and stuck the key into the ignition, I thought to myself.  
  
"What have I done?" 


	11. Her Response

I have come once again to apologize for not updating for so much longer! Flu relapse, traveling for Christmas . . . *sighs* Here's chapter eleven!  
  
****  
  
I walked into school, expecting the worst. In fact, almost hoping for the worst. I deserved it. How could I have let that happen?  
  
So what if I considered myself a freak? Didn't the rest of the world agree with me? Half of my mind insisted that he asked for it. Archrival or not, I would have beat up anybody who spoke to me like that, right?  
  
'Ah, but it was Seth that beat him up, not you!' the other half insisted. I longed to trust this half. Sadly, though its message was the most true, the rest of the world wouldn't agree with me.  
  
Serenity didn't know that Seth existed, which was as good as Seth not existing at all.  
  
Speaking of my Yami, Seth and I currently weren't on speaking terms. It started when I insulted him quite creatively after the incident. I used some curses that I didn't even know the meaning of.  
  
After a while he figured out that I wasn't interested in speaking to him. I don't think that he was particularly in the mood for a meaningful conversation either.  
  
Moody and silent, we just ignored each other's existence. And for right now, that was good.  
  
I walked towards the lockers. She was there, of course, pulling a few history books out of her locker.  
  
"Hello," I said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. She flipped around.  
  
"Hello Kaiba," she said coldly, pulling away. Kaiba? She had always called me Seto. She and Mokuba were really the only ones who called me by my first name anymore. I could never have imagined her looking at anyone quite the way that she looked at me.  
  
"Tell me. What kind of man goes out with a girl one night and the next day, beats up her brother?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.  
  
"Someone like me," I replied ashamedly, staring at the ground.  
  
"Oh, yes, someone like you. You just think you're so wonderful, and so perfect, you're too good for people like us!" she said, flipping her long auburn hair out of her eyes. Her face was beginning to turn red.  
  
"I thought you knew me better than that," I said, looking up to face her. Her eyes widened.  
  
"So did I!"  
  
With those last words, she ran off to class. I stood there dumbfounded, staring after her. I really thought she'd try to understand. On the outside, I was prepared for her anger, but in my heart I really thought she'd at least try to understand.  
  
Maybe that's just how close she and Joey were. She was prepared to leave everything she had behind to protect his honor. That was most admirable. I was afraid I wouldn't be that strong for Mokuba. What if I couldn't bring myself to do something like that?  
  
I dismissed the thought. I'd die before I let anything happen to him. Besides, this wasn't about Mokuba, it was about Serenity.  
  
I eventually walked off to class. There wasn't anything better to do. I was still numb from the way she had acted. This just wasn't fair at all.  
  
I sat down at a desk in the back of the classroom and pulled out a laptop, mostly to look like I was accomplishing something. I ignored the buzz of excitement around me and took the spare moment.  
  
Ignoring the unspoken vow of silence shared by Seth, I spoke.  
  
"If it weren't for you, she'd still like me."  
  
"If it weren't for me, she wouldn't know you existed."  
  
I was taken aback for a moment. For all this time I had blamed him, when I really wouldn't have had her in the first place without his untimely interference.  
  
"I suppose you're right."  
  
I guess that was as good as an apology from me, anyway. The bitter mentality caused by that moment slowly subsided.  
  
"I'm glad you decided to speak to me again," Seth said.  
  
"Pleased that you decided to reply," I said wryly.  
  
"So what you have to do now," Seth said, ignoring me as usual, "is to get back on her good side."  
  
This was way too hard. I mean, I couldn't just sit back and let her fume and come to hate me so much that she'd ask someone else out. I sighed.  
  
"Should I just lay low and wait for the opportune moment, or what?" I said sarcastically.  
  
"Yes, maybe that's all you can do," Seth replied, nodding.  
  
"You're serious?" I asked unbelievingly. "It may never come!"  
  
"Got any better ideas?" he asked sardonically.  
  
"Guess not," I replied.  
  
"Fine then. Let's do just that."  
  
~Surprisingly, the opportune moment came before either of us thought . . . ~ 


	12. The 'Oppertune Moment'

Thanks for all the reviews! Ya'll rock, and keep it up! =)  
  
****  
  
The next week passed all but lethargically. Still waiting for Seth's 'opportune moment'. I would be surprised if it came even this month. It suddenly occurred to me that it may never come at all. I hadn't even thought of that. I swallowed a lump in my throat, and continued on.  
  
Last period had ended, and I was walking out to my car. Uneventful day, (aren't they all?) and I was beginning to restless and agitated. There was nothing I could do, and I had come to hate that phrase over the life I'd had. Just because of what it meant. There was nothing I could do.  
  
'It's not all that bad,' Seth spoke up. I shrugged. 'I mean, you at least have a chance. Most guys would die for that much.' I couldn't help but agree. She at least had once shown signs of caring about me, so maybe the emotion wasn't completely alien. Still, at the moment, things were looking hopeless.  
  
I finally reached the car, and unlocked it. I had run late that morning, thus had been forced to park in the distant reaches of the parking lot. I stepped into the car, and stuck they key into the ignition. Nothing. Just to top off the day, my car wouldn't start. This was really, officially an annoyance.  
  
'This is why the ancient Egyptians never depended on automobiles,' Seth smiled weakly, making a half-hearted effort to cheer me up. I just nodded. This meant walking home. Oh well. Suppose it could be worse.  
  
I didn't know then, but it would come to be known as the most convenient car incident ever to occur.  
  
I trudged down the road, to the uncanny music of my name in whispers. Everyone was talking. It was common knowledge that I had a multi-million dollar custom made car. A single glare could only shut up one group of people.  
  
I'd never really walked home before. It meant walking through downtown Domino. It wasn't really too bad of a part of town, but there was occasional graffiti alleyways and gang hangouts. Some sections were a little uncanny, but I had no reason to be afraid.  
  
Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice in a nearby alley.  
  
"I already told you, I don't know anything!" she shouted. Seth and I were both thinking it: It could only be Serenity. I walked silently and almost cat-like into the small alley-way. I needed to get my bearings on the group. What I saw shocked me.  
  
Serenity was sitting in a chair looking defiant, and if I could be so bold- looking like she was trying to mask fear. There were three or so boys in their late teens standing in a circle around her. One held a knife.  
  
"We have reason to think you do know something," smirked a tall dark-haired boy with a pointed face. He stepped a little closer. "Let me tell you a little story."  
  
"You see, we're old . . . friends, so to say, of your brother," continued a stocky blonde boy. The other snickered. Serenity shrunk back.  
  
"We got him out of a tight spot once or twice, and he owes us," the blonde continued. The others nodded.  
  
"Hundreds of dollars," a rough-looking brunette added.  
  
"I know nothing of my brother's former friendships and or engagements," Serenity spoke in an all-business tone. The others eyed each other skeptically.  
  
"Regardless of how much either of you know, we thought that he might need some . . . inspiration to get back to us, if you know what I mean," the dark-haired boy sounded again. He appeared to be the spokesperson of the group.  
  
"What do you mean?" Serenity's voice shook.  
  
"We mean like . . . this!" the brunette whispered, taking a bronze switchblade out of his back pocket and flicking it open. I took a sharp intake of breath, scolding myself afterwards for taking a chance of bringing attention to myself.  
  
The boy with the knife took Serenity's hand. She was about to scream, but the dark-haired boy that was the first to speak put a hand over her mouth. I saw tears gather in the corners of her eyes. Sweat gleamed on her cheeks.  
  
Slowly, he lowered the knife to her palm. I suddenly realized what he was going to do.  
  
Suddenly I stepped out of the shadows, catching everyone off guard. All of them looked up at me. They gave me a once over. The blond looked a little afraid, as did the boy with the dark hair. However, the one with the blade smirked.  
  
"So her little boyfriend comes to save her," he ridiculed. I scowled, pounding my fist into the opposite hand. Running his finger slowly down the flat side of the blade he whispered. "Bring it on."  
  
"Gladly." I stepped up to him undautingly, fully aware of the fact that I was completely unarmed. He approached me, knife in hand. Serenity watched in horror from behind me, obviously wondering if I was crazy. In a way, I couldn't help but wonder the same thing.  
  
The other members shrunk back. It was a one on one face off. For now.  
  
Just as I expected him to, he immediately lunged. I jumped back. It continued like this for a while. I threw no punches or kicks, tiring him out before I tried anything. He continued to jab. When you have the weapon, you can afford to call the moves. However, the intelligence and method to his fighting weren't there.  
  
Finally, I kicked, aiming for the hand with the switchblade. He by now wasn't expecting me, and I managed to catch him off guard. With absolutely perfect precision, I hit him square in the fist. The knife went flying, out of either of our reach. Some of the others could have made a move for it, but by now they were afraid to turn their back on me.  
  
Completely predictably, they all lunged at once. I proceeded to fight, one attack after another, until, one of the three was on the ground. Of course it was the original holder of the weapon. He had learned to rely on it too heavily. A fair man to man battle was unmanageable.  
  
It was now just two against one. A definite improvement, but I was beginning to tire myself. We still fought relentlessly. I was fighting currently with the blond, who had the most muscle of the bunch. Agility was his weak point, and I was just about to throw the 'coup de grace', if you will, when Serenity, now free to scream, called out.  
  
"Seto, behind you!"  
  
I flipped around, just in time to counter a square attack from the gang leader that otherwise would have taken me down for sure. With a spinning kick, the blond boy was on the ground. Now it was back to one on one.  
  
The last one standing, who happened to be the leader, and I were both breathing heavily. We continued to throw punches and kicks, both winded and barely standing. Almost every punch was off, until finally, he hit me in on the side of jaw. Thank heavens he was off his game, or it would have been the center of my face.  
  
I was doing all I could to stand back up, but my eyes were swirling from the pain and exertion. In a finally wave of fury, I hit him squarely in the eyes, knocking him unconscious. That could have been called a hit of pure luck, if you believe in that kind of thing, because I was dizzy and having trouble seeing straight.  
  
I walked slowly over to where Serenity sat. She was in disbelief as she stared up into my eyes. I looked down, trying to focus. Getting down on my knees, I picked up the switchblade and used it to cut the ropes that held her to the wooden chair on which they had been interrogating her.  
  
I stood up and turned the other direction to walk off. If she really cared at all, she'd call me back first. I was almost at the opening to the street when I heard the soft cry behind me.  
  
"Seto . . . " 


	13. Time After Time

I stopped, and stood there at the corner of the alleyway. I could hear Serenity's soft sobs in the background. Suddenly, I realized something. Something very important, that could make all the difference.  
  
She called me Seto. During the fight, when she was warning me, she called me Seto. And she just had now. Did that mean anything at all? I wondered this as I stood, trying to keep my balance.  
  
I slowly turned, and walked towards her. She stared up at me, looking sympathetic - not to mention scared to death. She was pale as a sheet. She was afraid of what would happen next, and she wasn't the only one.  
  
Her lower lip trembled, tears streamed down her cheeks.  
  
"Seto . . . " she whispered. "Oh Seto!" she threw her arms around my neck, sobbing into my shoulder. I stood there, rigid, and let her totally lose it. I was getting angry. She wanted to forget about the confrontation in the hallway. It wasn't going to be that simple.  
  
"Seto . . . why did you do that?" she whispered, looking me in the eyes.  
  
I was taken aback. Somehow this seemed for the circumstances a strange question. I didn't really know why it seemed that way. I suppose I had expected her to know the answer.  
  
"Because I . . . Because you would have . . . Because something really bad would have happened if I hadn't!" I said sharply, still catching my breath.  
  
I suddenly realized that she hadn't asked me because she really wondered; she had asked to see what my answer would be. I smirked.  
  
She looked a little dejected, but maybe that was how I had intended it. It wasn't time for 'happily ever after'. I was still angry at how she had acted before.  
  
"I'm sorry Seto," she whispered. "I didn't mean what I said."  
  
All my dejection and hurt for the past week had become solid anger.  
  
"Did you ever think for an instant that what you said might have hurt? Everything isn't always in the moment." I said sharply. She continued to cry, but cried harder.  
  
Despite my quick feeling transition and intensity, I was still incredibly weak, and hardly standing up. I leaned on the side of the concrete wall, all but gasping for air. She stood up.  
  
My eyes swirled, and I leaned against the wall for a moment to rest. It felt like I couldn't keep my eyes open. I blinked repeatedly, briefly going in and out of consciousness. My head throbbed.  
  
"Oh my gosh! Seto, are you okay?!" she shouted, running over.  
  
"I'm fine," I heard myself say.  
  
"You aren't either!" I heard her murmur over and over 'oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh'.  
  
She leaned in closer and put a hand against my forehead to check for fever. Her hand felt ice cold. I leaned to the side a little dazedly, the ground rising up to meet me. As I blinked, the sensation went away, but returned soon after.  
  
"You're running a fever," she said softly. She smoothed my hair back from my forehead, seeming to have a strange reluctance to take her hand away. I sighed, all but surrendering to her touch. Her hand was comforting.  
  
"We can't exactly stay in this alleyway forever, if you know what I mean," I said.  
  
"You're right. What do you propose we do?" she asked, looking to me for an idea. I shrugged. She continued. "We could always go to one of our houses."  
  
"Fine, how about mine?" I more or less told her.  
  
"I don't know . . . think about what Joey would say." she reasoned.  
  
"What Joey would say?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "It would be that many times worse if we went to yours."  
  
"Not necessarily," she said. "At least that way he'd believe me about what happened."  
  
"So in other words," I replied, "you propose I stay with you instead, is that it?"  
  
"I suppose."  
  
"Fine then," I shrugged. I leaned against the wall for support, to try to stand. I slipped a little on the slick concrete, and she quickly reached for my arm. I jerked away, but ended up slipping more and falling down because of it. She smiled softly, and held out a hand.  
  
With her help, I was able to stand. My resistance of help had made me fall many a time before, but there had been someone there who knew me better than I knew myself, time after time.  
  
I was more than a little dizzy as we slowly walked out to the street. When we got there, she motioned for a taxi. One pulled up shortly after, and we got in.  
  
If it bothered the driver that I was only semi-conscious, or he even noticed, he didn't show it. In this part of town, he must get all kinds.  
  
Finally, he dropped us off in Serenity's cul-de-sac, and we walked to the door, after a short argument about who would pay the fare. I finally won, and handed him a few dollars.  
  
As we stood there on the doorstep, she gave me a short smile. She was as nervous as I was. She slowly reached for the knob, but it was opened before she even reached it. 


	14. The Worst Night of My Life

Hope you liked the last chapter. Sorry for all the cliffhangers! This fic just kind of lends itself to that. I miss Seth as much as all the rest of ya, I promise! He'll be back next Seto POV chapter. Yes, new POV! This is . . . *drum roll*  
  
JOEY'S POV// JOEY'S POV// JOEY'S POV// JOEY'S POV// JOEY'S POV  
  
****  
  
I raced to the door at the sound of the car pull up, not ready to believe what I had seen. First and foremost, Serenity was finally home. I'd been worried sick all afternoon. Just a few more hours and I would have called the police.  
  
I maintained my composure as I reached for the doorknob. I wasn't going to be an idiot, playing off the drama of the moment. Especially not if HE was here. Should it bother me that my sister, my only sister, my younger sister was coming home about four hours late from school with Seto Kaiba, of all people?  
  
Common sense told me that it definitely should.  
  
Possible emotions and reactions raced through my head. Should I be mad she was home so late, or happy that she was home at all? I didn't know especially how I should treat Seto Kaiba. I certainly don't trust him, we all know that. But should I trust her to have a good reason for all of this?  
  
They were nearing the front door. I watched as they walked down the driveway. Something seemed . . . wrong. He seemed almost paler than usually, and looked a little weak. She walked very close to him, like he wouldn't have been able to stand up on his own.  
  
Something very fishy was definitely going on here.  
  
They reached the end of the sidewalk. Slowly opening the door, I stood there. I really didn't know what emotion was evident at the time. I'd had so many thoughts in the last few minutes, or for that matter . . . seconds.  
  
"Joey, I can explain, just give me a few minutes," she said pleadingly. I stepped out of the way. They walked to the living room, and I slowly followed. Kaiba kept his head down. He didn't want to see me any more than I did him.  
  
I walked in and sat down in a small recliner in the corner. He sat on the couch. Serenity had apparently run off to the kitchen to get something. I was, by this time, extremely anticipating an explanation from either of them. He still kept his head down. I didn't care.  
  
Serenity walked back in with a small plastic bag full of ice. She handed it to Kaiba, who put it against his cheek, which I had noticed by this point was a nasty shade of grayish purple.  
  
"I called Mokuba and told him what happened," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Thanks," he said.  
  
She next looked toward me, with a gaze that was somewhere between the bounds of guilt and worry. I didn't know what she was going to say, but whatever it was, I knew I wanted to hear it.  
  
"I'm sorry, Joey, for not giving you an explanation sooner. If anybody deserves one, it's you. You see, it all started when I was walking home from school. These four guys grabbed me, and pulled me into some back alley," she started.  
  
"They started asking me questions, like, about you, Joey. They wanted to know what I knew about something, and said they were acquaintances of yours. They were scary, sort of, and wore mostly black. They started saying things like you owed them a lot of money. One had a knife." I wondered where this story was going.  
  
"The guy with the knife reached for my hand, but about that time, Seto got there. He saved my life, Joey."  
  
This was too much, but explained a lot. After beating up three or four people, one armed even, anybody would look that bad, or worse. I didn't know what to say. It was even harder now to know how to act towards Kaiba. I had realized that Serenity was referring to him as 'Seto'. It was a little unnerving.  
  
"He has a little of a fever from overheat and exertion, but will be okay," she explained. "Seto, Mokuba says that it's okay with him if you want to stay over here tonight. I think it's a good idea, personally. You should minimize movement until you've totally recovered."  
  
Great. Now my worst enemy is staying at my house. It couldn't get much worse than this. I shrugged. I didn't think my opinion on the situation was going to be regarded to too much of an extent, anyways. I hadn't been able to get a word in since they got here.  
  
"I doubt any of us have eaten yet, and there's not much here. Wanna order pizza?" I asked. It was the only thing I could think of to break the ominous silence. Besides, I was starved.  
  
"Good idea, Joey," smiled Serenity. "I'll call. I know you like pepperoni, and I like mushroom. We could get an extra-large and divide it three ways. Seto, what do you want on your third?"  
  
"I'll just have cheese," he replied shrugging.  
  
"Okay, I'll go call. There's a few coupons on the fridge, right?" she asked. I nodded. "Good. Joey, there's a few spare sheets in the guest room closet. Go ahead and pull them out. I'll be up in a few to help make up the guest bed."  
  
"Sure thing, Sis," I replied, headed up the stairs. I took them two or three at a time. Definitely saved time. I got to the top, and hung a left.  
  
I walked into the guest room and stood on my tip toes to get the sheets off the top shelf. I unfolded the dark blue sheets. They were soft from years of wear. I thought for a few minutes.  
  
This was definitely nothing like what he was used to. It was a double bed, facing a window to the backyard. It was a nice view, with some nice trees. There were a few pictures on the wall, which was painted a light beige color. It was a comforting, 'home sweet home' look. I liked it, and didn't see how someone couldn't. Who knows.  
  
I heard Serenity coming up the stairs, and took the fitted sheet out of the pile.  
  
"Hey Joey," she smiled, taking a side of the sheet. "I called the place near us. They said they'd have it here in about thirty minutes. I thought we could have kind of a pizza party. It'll be fun."  
  
"Sounds cool," I replied.  
  
"I hope you don't mind Seto staying here tonight," she said. I looked up.  
  
"I know he saved you, and that was really brave and all, but I don't see what you see in him. He's so cold and uptight all the time," I said.  
  
"Not all the time, Joey, and there's a second side to him. He's really sweet, and understanding, just a little lost. If either of us had been through what he had, we'd probably be like that too," she explained.  
  
"We had a really hard childhood too," I reminded.  
  
"I know, Joey, but at least we had our parents still. He had to grow up all alone, and raised Mokuba on top of everything else."  
  
To be honest, I had never really thought of it that way. I mean, I'd spent all this time blaming him for the way he was, when none of it was really his fault. And he had saved Serenity's life. I wish I had been there. Then I could have done it, so I wouldn't feel like I had to like him. It never would have happened had I been there.  
  
We got the bed fitted with sheets, and the cover turned. It looked really nice. A few strategically placed throw pillows really did something for the look of a place. She gave me a warm smile, and we walked downstairs. She put on some music, namely the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack. I didn't remember her having seen that movie, but whatever.  
  
Thanks to Serenity, maybe this wouldn't be the worst night of my life after all. 


	15. It's Not All BS

Okay, indefinite hiatus is no fun. So after almost three and a half years, I return with the last couple installments. Yes, I was a slacker, back in the day. But no more! Between the ending of Same Time Next Week and the beginning of my arrogantshipping story, I thought I'd get it out of the way. Why not? I plan to do likewise with my Les Mis hiatus-ed story, but that will be a whole lot more work.

Uh, thanks for your patience, I guess! Don't own YGO - Enjoy!

* * *

I thought to myself as they remained upstairs, making up the guest bed. I really didn't feel like staying in the same house as my worst enemy. I mean, being on the same island had been enough. The same house? I didn't want to think about it. 

'Oh come on,' sighed Seth. 'It'll be fine. Think positives! You'll also be in the same house as Serenity.'

I hadn't thought about that, but maybe Seth's mind was just that much more messed up than mine. I didn't see how that could be, as we shared a mind, but whatever. Ugh. I didn't think he meant it that way. I hoped not.

I heard Joey's loud stomping on the stairs. I hoped I wouldn't have that to deal with all night. Then again, I probably would. Oh well. It could be worse. I knew worse, and I didn't want to go there. I immediately thought of Mokuba. I hoped he'd be okay tonight. I'd call at his bed time on my cell phone to make sure. I didn't want to cut into their phone minutes. I felt guilty staying here, really. I knew their finances were tight, and well … being a millionaire but accepting 'charity' from them just didn't feel right.

I tried to get my mind off my cheek, which throbbed, to say the least. My vision was a little clouded over. I was afraid to tell Serenity. She would worry and blame it on herself. There was really nothing more that she could be doing to help, but it was like Serenity to worry anyway.

The siblings walked back into the room, laughing and chatting. I suddenly felt a little like an outsider. They had their own perfect lifestyle together, and I felt as though I was invading or something. It was a queer feeling, not belonging, but I'd felt it too many times before to say it was alien. When we first moved in to the Kaiba mansion, Mokuba and I felt like outsiders. I never really belonged in the role I'd been forced to play.

"I have an idea!" exclaimed Serenity. "Let's invite Yugi and Tristan and Téa and Bakura over! That'll be fun!" I inwardly cringed. She really refused to realize that she was making a bad situation worse. Joey, however, brightened up. Obviously having me here wasn't going to be as terrible if he could share the burden with friends.

"I'll invite Mai, too," he smiled, looking a little dazed. Puppy love, no pun intended.

"And Seto," she continued. "Wanna invite Mokuba over?" I liked that idea. I was going to miss seeing him this evening. I knew he'd like the idea of ordering pizza. I nodded and pulled out my cell phone. Ordinarily I would have stepped into another room to make the call, but moving wasn't exactly the wisest thing to do at the moment. I dialed the number.

"Hello?" a small voice asked on the other line.

"Hey," I said, realizing the change in my own voice after hearing him. The sound of his voice was so comforting I couldn't help but smile a little.

"How are you, Seto?" he asked concernedly.

"I've been better, but I've also been worse," I compromised, not wanting to worry him. "We're going to order a pizza tonight and have sort of a party. Interested in coming over?"

"Are you serious?" he asked, sounding more excited by the second. "Of course! Who else is coming?"

"Well . . . Yugi, Tristan, Téa, Bakura, Mai, and of course, Joey and Serenity," I listed.

"Sweet! I'll be right over," he promised.

"Okay. Have one of the maids drop you off," I suggested.

"I'll just meet up with Yugi, Téa, Bakura, and Tristan at the corner and walk with them. See ya!"

He hung up before I could protest, which was probably for the better. He needed some exercise, and somebody to talk to. Besides, then they'll all be here together. It made more sense, and he'd have fun. I didn't really see a problem with it.

We sat around the living room for the next few minutes, chatting a little, mainly small talk. There wasn't really that much to say. If it weren't for the soft background music, the silence in between conversations might have gotten awkward. That might have been the idea when she put it on.

Suddenly the doorbell rang.

They both jumped up to get it; I stayed put. I shouldn't move too much, and Mokuba was the only one I was really interested in seeing anyway. I heard them greet their friends, but Mokuba ran ahead to the living room.

"Hey Seto!" he dove onto the couch beside me, grinning widely, but his grin faded at the sight of the enormous bruise on my cheek.

"Wow . . . impressive." He sounded somewhat proud and mischievous. I smiled back wearily.

"Yeah. It hurts a little," I reached for the bag of ice.

"I bet," he nodded.

The others returned to the room. Yugi just smiled and said hello. Joey must have prepared him. Téa looked concerned, and Tristan slightly impressed. Mai gave me an odd sidelong wink that I didn't choose to interpret. Instead I looked the other direction.

We sat around, talking as they had before. Serenity turned off the music, as it would have been hard to hear over the din of eight voices anyway. I would have felt even more outside and alone than before, if Mokuba hadn't acted as a mediator of sorts. He was involved in their conversation, being far more of a people-person than I was. He made an effort to include me, which I appreciated. Suddenly, the doorbell rang again.

The Wheeler siblings got up to answer the door, and soon walked back in, carrying the boxes of pizza. They set it down on the table, and Serenity got some place mats and silverware. Along with some napkins, they table was soon ready for us to eat. We sat down.

"Okay," started Joey. "There is no way we are paying for all this pizza."

"It was about thirty dollars, so if we each pay $3, it should cover it," explained Serenity. "Since Joey and I are hosting the party, we'll make up the difference."

There was a little bit of noise as everyone reached for their wallets. I pulled out mine, and spoke up.

"Don't worry about it," I said as I pulled out a twenty and two fives. "I'll cover it."

"Wow, thanks Seto," Serenity smiled, accepting the bills. Everyone was silent for a few minutes as they put the money they had gotten out away. I hoped it didn't look like I was trying to show off. I just didn't see the need for everyone else to have to pay their lunch money for the next day when I could cover that easily. I hadn't meant to make it so awkward.

"Hey!" Serenity spoke up. I jumped; I'm not sure if anyone else did. The silence had been loud, and she had punctured it quite unexpectedly. She continued, oblivious.

"How about we sit in the living room, like a picnic! That'll be fun!" I shrugged.

"That sounds fun!" Joey exclaimed. "I remember when we used to do that."

Joey pulled a picnic blanket out of the top cabinet and moved the coffee table to the corner of the living room. He and Tristan set out the blanket, and we all moved our place settings to the floor. Mokuba grinned. I bet he was having a blast. We never got to do anything like this at home, it was all formal, and we often had associates over for dinner. To tell you the truth, I wasn't having a terrible time either.

The concept of pizza seemed to disturb Seth. I don't think that he had ever had it before.

'What is this stuff?' he whispered. I inwardly suppressed a laugh.

'It's Italian.'

'Are you telling me that this was devised by the Roman Empire?!'

'Just forget it.'

"Pizza rocks," sighed Joey. I couldn't help but agree with him, for once.

"I second," Tristan said with his mouth full. It sounded more like 'Uh fecon'. We nodded in agreement. Yugi laughed, and I couldn't help but smile. Serenity noticed and grinned.

We had a few pieces each, with the exception of Joey and Tristan. It didn't matter though; there was plenty to go around. As we were finishing up, Serenity walked over to the freezer and opened the door. She pulled out a few cartons and placed them on the counter.

"Well, who wants what?" she asked, indicating the three ice creams. I love ice cream, but I haven't had it in forever. And I mean forever. Our adoptive father didn't really tolerate that kind of thing, and well . . . we just never got back into the habit of buying it. My choices were Rainbow Sherbet, Rocky Road, or Cherry Vanilla.

We all rattled off our preferences. Very few people chose Cherry Vanilla; most everyone took either the more sugary option or the more colorful one. When I last had ice cream, I would have done the same, but for some reason vanilla seemed to appeal. I would have had it with chocolate syrup had there not been cherries, but they were my favorite part.

"Okay," smiled Serenity as she pulled out an ice cream scoop and three bowls. "I think I'll join you for Cherry Vanilla, Seto." She added the ice cream to the bowls, and after taking a moment to put the cartons away and get us spoons, she handed the servings out.

"Let's eat them at the table," she suggested. We followed her into the more lit room and took our places around a circular table originally intended for about five people. We were squished, but it hardly mattered. I sat between Serenity and Mokuba.

"Let's play BS!" suggested Joey. They all laughed, but agreed it was a good idea.

"You guys know that you can play that with Duel Monsters cards, right?" asked Mokuba. I smiled, shaking my head. That brought back some old memories. He and I had actually developed that method, back in the orphanage days. We'd go back and forth with the other boys, and I'd most often end up the victor. I'm a pretty good liar, interestingly enough. That wasn't exactly a surprise, as Seth commented, but it certainly helped me to develop my taste for winning.

"Really?" Téa asked in surprise. "I'd say that we should try it, but I don't have my deck with me."

"Well, we could make teams," Yugi suggested. It worked out that Mokuba and I shared my deck, Yugi and Téa shared his, Tristan and Bakura played together with Bakura's, and Mai and Joey argued for a little while over who's deck they would play with. Eventually, they just decided to cut each deck in half and combine them.

"So what are the rules, Mokuba?" Bakura inquired.

"The same as always," my little brother shrugged. "Just go by card type instead of suit, like you would with regular playing cards."

"Easy enough," Mai shrugged. "Everybody ready?"

The consensus seemed positive enough.

"The winner will receive a brand new pack of Skittles!" Serenity declared, holding up a red pack of Original Flavor Skittles. Joey and Tristan's eyes narrowed in competition. "Let's start with Mai and Joey!"

Joey placed a card face-up, which happened to be the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. It was, of course, a dragon-type, and so it followed suit, each person around the circle putting one down face-down on top of it. The game was particularly interesting with Duel Monsters because we all knew each other's decks, and we all knew about the time the others would run out of said type of card and start BS-ing.

Mai was actually the first one to make an accusation, and interestingly enough, it was to me. Unbeknownst to either of them, Mokuba and I were using our old strategy: we'd BS the first few times and when people started getting suspicious, we'd do the real thing. When I picked up the Blue Eyes and smirked, she groaned and collected the large pile of cards on the table. Joey, too, seemed frustrated and asked if we had to play teams. When she hit him upside the head, however, he again quieted down.

The game continued for a good hour, until Bakura and Tristan managed to empty their hand.

"Wow, I never thought that you guys would win," Joey pointed out all-too honestly. Tristan was reaching over to hit him about how Mai had when Yugi got between them.

"You guys, this has nothing to do with dueling skill," he pointed out. "It's just that none of us know what Bakura's deck has, anyway."

"That's true," Tristan agreed, putting his hand down. "But I'm still not sharing my half of the Skittles."

"Fine," Joey stuck out his tongue. "I don't want your Skittles, anyway."

It took us the better part of the next half-hour to sort out everyone's decks. Finally, when they were all back to the way that they had been before the game began, people getting ready to go.

"Well, it was great and all, but I've got to go to dance practice," said Tea as she stood up.

"Yeah," agreed Yugi. "I should probably go and work on the PowerPoint presentation for history tomorrow."

All the color drained from Serenity's face.

"T-t-tomorrow?" she choked out. I had only finished it a few days ago. It was gigantic.

"I haven't even started on it!" she wailed. I bit my lip. This was a huge grade. If she didn't turn this in tomorrow, she had the potential of failing 10th grade history.

"Well, then you should probably get started," Joey acknowledged. She bit her lip and nodded, dashing upstairs. After she left, the guests somewhat dissipated, and the party seemed to be at and end. Joey started cleaning up, and after hugging Mokuba goodbye I moved back to the living room to replace the ice on my cheek.

'So, this sounds bad,' mused Seth. I silently nodded.

'If she fails this project, she'll most likely flunk the class.'

'Good thing,' he started deviously, 'that she has a computer expert staying over at her house tonight.'

That was so brilliant; I didn't know what I hadn't thought of it sooner.


End file.
